Bathroom accessory



Jan. 2l, 1947. A. MARCHAND BATHROOM ACCESSORY Filed NOV. ll, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

Patented `lan. 21, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEN l Claims.

rlhis invention relates to bathroom accessories, such as toothbrush holders and soap dishes, lt is the principal object of the invention to provide a toothbrush holder which will be disposed in underlying relation to a bathroom shelfV and which is turnable from a position in which the tuft ends of the toothbrushes-horizontally retained in the holder-protrude beyond the front edge of the shelf so that individual ones thereof may be removed, to a position in which the toothbrushes including their tuft ends are entirely disposed underneath the Shelf and out of the way. Similarly, the improved soap dish xture is disposed in underlying relation to a bathroom shelf and turnable from a position in which the soap dish pr-o-trudes beyond the front edge of the shelf so that the cake of soap is accessible, to a position in which the soap dish including the cake of soap is entirely disposed in underlying relation to the shelf and thus out of the way. An allied object is t-o provide a toothbrush holder and/or a soap dish of the character described which may be readily applied to existing bathroom sh elves.

For the attainment of the foregoing and such other objects of invention as may appear or be pointed out herein, T. have shown an embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure l is a plan view of the bathroom accessory provided with both a toothbrush holder and a soap dish, with the toothbrush holder turned to accessible position presenting a single toothbrush and with the soap dish likewise turned to accessible position protruding beyond the front edge of the shelf;

Figure 2 is a front view of the improved accessory shown in Figure l Fsul'e 3 is an enlarged detail, in plan, of the rotative mounting of the device, showing the manner of assembling;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the rotative mounting taken o-n the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail, in plan, of the composite stop and detent tting;

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the composite fitting of Figure 5; and

Figure '7 is likewise an elevational view of the composite iitting, but taken on the line l-l of Figure 5.

. There is 'shown in Figures 1 and 2 a common type of bathroom shelf comprising a glass or composition shelf panel i which is held at its both side edges in channel runners 2 which project forwardly from blocksv 3 which are. set. into the tile masonry or otherwise aiiixed to the wall. As clearly seen in Figure 2, the channels of the side runners? are sufciently wide to receive between the upper and lower anges thereof, not only the thickness of the glass or composition shelf panel i but also the thickness of a metal plate 3, to the underside of which are rotatively mounted either the toothbrush holder or the soap dish or both (as shown), as will be more fully described. Plate 9, while it may be made considerably thinner than the glass or composition shelf panel I, is of the precise length and width as shelf panel I so that both plate 9 and panel I are held between the channel runners Z in coinciding relation. Where the improved accessory is to be applied to an already installed bathroom shelf, the existing shelf panel is removed and replaced by a thinner panel so as to provide additional space for inclusion of metal plate 9 in the channels of the existing side runners. In this connection it will be noted that by reason of the support afforded by the metal plate, the glass or composition shelf panel may be thinner than would be required were the panel used alone.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by way of illustration in the drawing are provided a toothbrush holder, generally designated lil, and a soap dish, generally designated 30, although it is apparent that the improved accessory may be provided with only the toothbrush holder or with only the soap dish. It should also be understood that the tooth brush holder and the soap dish have been selected merely for illustrative purpose and that the invention may be applied to any other kind or type of article, e. g. a holder for tooth paste or other tubes or jars, a holder for a safety razor, shaving brush, and so forth. The structure of the improved bathroom accessory will be described principally with reference to the toothbrush holder ID, with the understanding that the structure will be similar in all material respects in the case of the soap dish or other type of holder or container.

Toothbrush holder I0 is shown in the drawing as having compartments Il for three toothbrushes, although it is clear that the holder may be made for a single brush or for a different number than shown. Holder I0 is conveniently fabricated of two pieces of sheet metal, the larger piece of which is folded to provide a bottom plate I2, narrow side walls I3 and longitudinal flanges I4, a blank rear wall i5 and a front wall i6 having cut-outs to provide the aforesaid brush compartments I I. The smaller of the two pieces of metal sheet,1 is;` folded; t9 provide an. intermediate. plate Illand narrow side walls I8 Yhaving longitudinal flanges I9 which rest upon the longitudinal flanges I4 of the main holder plate, to support the inter- (as will be more fully described subsequently) hence in Figure 4, plate I2 does not appear as a annular groove 1 of the center-piece one end being securedV thereto; fastening the other end of the coil spring to the ring 38, the latter is placed in position in concentric relation to center-piece 1 8. Before the holder IIJ is secured to the ring 38 by engaging its pair of pins 31, the ring 38 is turned relatively to center-piece 8 in a direction to tension coil spring 6. For this purpose, the ring 38 is provided at 'its outer circumferential surface, Y

i. e., the curved surface of its outside or largest diameter, with a notch 35, see Figures 3 and 4,

vwithin which is received the end 5 of a tool 4 bottom plate. Strips of metal 2| of L-shaped section may be provided between the bottom plate I2 and intermediate plate Ilfor the purpose of stiiening the holder and forthe further purpose of separating the holder into longitudinalbrush compartments. For the latter purpose, the strips 2l are located to coincide with a side edge of openings i l in the front wall IB. Only two such strips 2l are shown in the figures and these are located at the right side edge of the leftmost compartment (as viewed in Figure 4) and the left side edge of the rightmost compartment. Compartments i I are suiciently long and wide to receive the handles of conventional toothbrushes, suchv as C, which are horizontally disposed within the compartments with their tuft vends extending beyond iront Wall I6.

Toothbrush holder Ill is rotatively mounted to the underside of supporting plate 9 so that it may be turned from an accessible position (shown in broken lines in Figure 1) with its front wall I8 substantially coinciding with the front edge of shelf I and the brush compartments normal thereto, to an out-of-reach position (shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure l) with front wall IS normal to the front edge of shelf I and-the brush compartments oriented parallel with the front edge oi the shelf. In addition, the toothbrush holder I8 is implemented with spring means which is tensioned when the holder is turned in a counter-clockwise (as viewed in Figurerl) from its out-of-reach to its accessible position and which tends to return the holder clockwise to out-of-reach position. For the purpose of mounting the holder on the under-surface of supporting plate 9 so that it may be turned in the manner just described and be under the influence of the said spring means, there is provided the following: to the underside of supporting plate 9 is secured a circular center-piece 8 (which appears on the top surface of supporting plate 9 When the parts are being assembled, as in Figure 4). The periphery of circular center-piece 8 is grooved, 1, a tensile coil spring 6 being seated in the annular groove 1. Surrounding center-piece 8 is a ring 38 which is rotatable relative to the center-piece 8. One end of coil spring 6 is secured to the inside of ring 38, with its other end secured to the periphery of center-piece 8. Projecting from the top surface of ring 38, when the parts are being assembled as in Figure 4, is a pair of diametrically opposed pins 31, each of which are individually receivable in a pair of holes 21 in the intermediate wall I1 of holder I8.

In assembling the parts and tensioning the coil spring t, the supporting plate 9 is placed on the assembling bench or table in a position opposite to that in which it assumes in underlying relation to the shelf panel I (as in Figures 1 and 2). That is, in the assembling position, as shown in Figure 4, the center-piece 8 projects` upwardly from plate 9. The coil spring 6 is then placed in which is preferably made ilat for its entire length, i. e., except for its tip 5. After the ring 38 is properly positioned about center-piece 8 and coil spring 6 secured to the two, the tip 5 of tool 4 is inserted in notch 35 of the ring, see position A in Figure 3, and turned in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in that figure, to position B. This counter-clockwise turning of ring 38 relative to the center-piece 8, will tension spring 6. Holding the ring 38 in its said turned and tensioned position, the holder is then placed over the centerpiece 8 and its ring 38, while projecting pins 31 of the ring insert themselves in the pair of holes 21 in intermediate wall I1 of holder I0. Tool 4 is made flat, as mentioned above, so that the holder I0 may be brought quite close to supporting plate 9, at least to a position in which pins 31 have engaged in holes 21, before being prevented by the tool from coming any closer. After'said engagement of the projecting pins 31, the tool 4 is of course Withdrawn.

, The holder I0 is secured in position--wth pins 21 engaged in its holes-relative to supporting plate 9, so that the holder may be turned relatively to the supporting plate, more particularly,

from the out-of-reach position shown in dot-anddash lines in Figure l, to the accessible position shown in broken lines. This securement of the holder I8 in underlying relationship to the supporting plate'9, is achieved by a headed machine screw 32 which is screwed into a tapped hole 2.2, Figure 4, located at the center of center-piece 8. As best seen in that figure, the bottom plate I2 of holder I8 has a large hole I2 through which the head of machine screw 32 may be passed; the intermediate plate I1 of the holder I0, on the other hand, has a smaller hold I1', through which the machine screw but not its head may pass. Machine screw 32, with intermediate plate I1 of holder I0 interposed between its head and centerpiece 8, is not screwed all the way down, i. e., it is not screwed down tight, so that the holder I0, its intermediate plate I1 resting on the head of the machine screw, may turn relative to the screw and center-piece 8.

A iixture, designated generally as 23, is secured to the underside of supporting plate 9, as by soldering or spot welding or the like, and serves a number of purposes. In the first place, iixture 23 serves as a stop for the turning of holder I0 to its accessible position; for this purpose, xture 23 is provided with a rubber or felt or similar pad 24 which is abutted by one of the side walls I3 of holder I9 when it has reached accessible position. Fixture 23 is provided with a second rubber or similar pad 25 which serves as a stop by being -abutted by the said side wall of holder II? when it has reached out-of-reach position. Lastly, xture 23 is provided with a pair of spring fingers 2S which serve as a detent to kretain the holder lll in accessible position against the tension of said spring 6. In turning the device from out-of-reach to accessible position, the spring is tensioned so as to urge the holder to turn back to normal, out-of-reach position. Said spring finger 25 of fixture 23 prevents this spring return, holding between its pair of spring ngers a detent lug 35 secured to the said side wall I3 of holder Iii, as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The holder 30, Figure 1, with which is associated soap dish 3 I, may be made similar to holder I U except that holder 30 is not implemented with compartments similar to compartments I I of the toothbrush holder I0. Instead, holder 35S is provided with a depending breast-piece 33 to which soap dish 3| is secured. As best seen in Figure 2, -breast-piece 33 depends from holder 3E) a sufficient extent so that soap dish 3l is suiciently below the underside of supporting plate 9 to pro-- vide clearance for a cake of soap resting in receptacle 3i to pass under the shelf when the holder is turned to out-of-reach position. It will be observed from Figure 1, that the holder 3S may be made smaller than the toothbrush holder It inasmuch as holder 30 merely serves to support soap dish 3| at one end thereof, whereas toothbrush holder I0 itself serves to provide compartments II of suiiicient length to accommodate the handle of toothbrushes. The center-piece 8 and ring 33 for rotatively supporting holder 3l) to the underside of plate 9 and the xture 23 are similar to the parts already described in connection with the toothbrush holder` I9. When used to support a soap dish or other receptacle, holder 3B need not have both the botto-rn plate I2 and the intermediate plate I'I as in the case of the toothbrush holder IB; that is, the plate I2 together with the compartments II for the toothbrushes Inay be omitted entirely, he plate I'I constituting the bottom plate of holder 3i).

I claim:

1. In a bathroom accessory adapted to support a receptacle for a toilet article, in combination, a shelf panel, a member rotatively mounted on the underside of the said panel for turning between an out-of-reach position underlying said shelf and an accessible position projecting outwardly from said shelf, the said receptacle being connected to the said turnable member and the said turnable member comprising a circular center-piece, a ring concentrically disposed relatively to the said center-piece for rotation therearound and a coil spring one end of which is secured to the said center-piece with its other end secured to the said ring, the said ring having a pair of pins projecting downwardly from its lower, planar face, and the said receptacle being provided with a pair of holes for engaging the said pair of pins so that the spring is tensioned by turning the ring relatively to the said centerpiece and is held in its tensioned position by the engagement of the said pins in said holes of said receptacle. l

2. In a bathroom accessory adapted to support a receptacle for a toilet article, in combination, a shelf panel and a supporting plate in underlying relation thereto, a member rotatively mounted on the underside of the said plate for turning between an out-of-reach position underlying said plate and an accessible position projecting outwardly from said plate, the said receptacle being connected to the said turnable member and theA said turnable member comprising a circular center-piece, a ring concentrically disposedrelatively to the said center-piece for rotation therearound and a coil spring one end of which is secured to the said center-piece with its other end secured to the said ring, the said ring having a pair of pins projecting downwardly from. its lower, planar face, and the said receptacle being provided with a pair of holes for engaging the said pair of pins so that the spring is tensioned by turning the ring relatively to the said centerpiece and is held in its tensioned position by the engagement of the said pins in said holes of said receptacle.

3. The combination, according to claim 1, wherein the said ring is provided on its outer curvilinear face with a notch adapted to receive the end of a flat assembling tool and wherein the said projecting pins are sufliciently long to engage in the said holes of the turnable member l while the said assembling tool holds the ring in an angular relation to the center-piece with the said coil spring tensioned.

4. In a bathroom accessory adapted to support a receptacle for a toilet article, in combination, a shelf panel and a supporting plate in underlying relation thereto, a member rotatively mounted on the underside of the said plate for turning between an out-of-reach position underlying said plate and an accessible position projecting outwardly from said plate, the said receptacle being connected to the said turnable member andbeing provided with an intermediate plate spaced from its bottom, the front wall of the receptacle having openings defining compartments within the said space between the intermediate plate and the bottom adapted to individually receive the handles of toothbrushes with the tuft ends thereof extending beyond the said front wall.

ADOLPH MARCHAND. 

